


A Tale of Two Card Sharks

by Nickle_Chickle



Category: D.Gray-man
Genre: Gen, Platonic Relationships
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-29
Updated: 2019-09-29
Packaged: 2020-11-07 15:15:21
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,779
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20819429
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nickle_Chickle/pseuds/Nickle_Chickle
Summary: ((I don't romantically ship Poker Pair but they're fun to write XD ))Basically some Poker Pair shenanigans with cards and bars





	A Tale of Two Card Sharks

As much as he loved his family, Tyki Mikk had his limits with them.

More specifically, he had his reservations on how much of Sheril's matchmaking attempts he was willing to entertain before he pondered trying to strangle both his brother and the selected woman. 

He found himself in a filthy alleyway, fighting to suppress his Noah aura from the frighteningly acute tracking skills of Sheril and the all-seeing eyes of Wisely. He wasn't sure if his adoptive nephew had teamed up with Sheril, but Tyki wasn't dumb enough to take his chances with him.

Sheril had approached him that morning with what was supposed to be a warm, charming smile but instead was known to Tyki as "I found you a date who is crazy enough to court you." It didn't matter how many debutantes Tyki turned away; somehow, Sheril found more.

If he could find the sick bastard who invented the concept of matchmaking, Tyki would do his best to gruesomely annihilate them several times over. Tyki cautiously exhaled a sigh of relief. It seemed that Sheril had abandoned his search.

For now.

Within an instant his crisp suit melted away into a dress shirt and jeans in a flicker of violet light. After a pause, Tyki conjured a pair of spectacles for good measure.

He then exited the alley and merged into the flow of pedestrians, glancing at his reflection in a passing shop window. He'd be safe under this disguise...hopefully for awhile.

Until then, Tyki thought, he'd have to find some way to pass the time. Something golden and round flew by out of the corner of his eye. He turned, briefly glimpsing a familiar head of pure white hair, followed by a winged golem.

What was the boy doing here?

The golem noticed him before its master did, turning to look straight at Tyki...as much as an eyeless creature like it could.

The golem's face split open to reveal a mouth of sharp teeth, bared straight at the Noah.

He stiffened, backing up slowly, before turning sharply on his heel and striding away in the opposite direction.

Allen glanced back to find Timcanpy hovering in place, gnashing his teeth at something.

"Tim? What's wrong?"

He tried to follow the golem's gaze, and spotted a man with dark skin and long, curled hair drawn back in a ponytail doing his best to inconspicuously merge back into the crowd. Allen stiffened, Innocence arm twitching. 

It was his day off, but Allen couldn't exactly let the Noah just slip away without confronting him. The Order would have a field day.

But then again...

Did he really have to tell them that he had seen Tyki Mikk sneaking around?

He weighed his options: trail the man and find out what sort of trickery the Noah were planning this time, or let him get away in favor of quieting his own grumbling stomach.

Allen began weaving through the crowd, muttering mindless apologies to the disturbed city folk.

Tyki walked faster, darting this way and that to try to lose the exorcist boy that was closing in.

As much as he wanted to mess with the boy, Tyki's prior goal remained unchanged. He ducked into a tavern, hiding at a corner table swathed with many states of drunken patrons.

His eyes remained fixed on the door, hoping that his pursuer had lost track of him.

Unfortunately, luck wasn't on his side. Tyki could just get Road to open a door for him so he could hide somewhere in the Ark, but he had a feeling that effort would be just as futile. The Earl would undoubtedly rat him out to Sheril. So here he was, stuck in some random tavern, with the boy coming up to his table.

Tyki plastered on his most charming smile.

"Well, well, if it isn't the boy! What brings you to this part of town?"

Allen scowled.

"Don't play dumb, Tyki Mikk. What are you scheming this time?"

The Noah splayed a hand over his chest in mock offense.

"How rude! Honestly, I'm not scheming anything!"

He sighed.

"Just hiding from damned Sheril," Tyki muttered.

Allen sat down, vaguely interested.

"Sheril? That creepy sadist guy?"

"I wouldn't say that about him in his company, but yes, boy, that would be Sheril."

Allen shrugged unapologetically.

"So why are you avoiding him?"

Tyki exhaled tiredly.

"He won't stop setting up dates for me. He seems to think he can convince me to join the married life."

"I didn't even consider him to be married. Why would he? The Noah hate humans, don't they? Why bother?"

Tyki wagged his finger with teasing reproach.

"Now, now, I can't go revealing all of our family secrets to you, now can I, boy? Let's just say that he has ulterior motives behind it." 

Allen rolled his eyes.

"I don't think I want to know what that means. Get back to the point."

"...well, I don't share his interest, so I've been dodging his matchmakings as long as I can. Hopefully, he's given up on tracking me down this time."

"Those poor women! You could have at least pretended to entertain them, not just leave them high and dry!" Allen squawked indignantly. 

Tyki huffed a laugh. "When you've seen one prissy debutante, you've seen them all."

Their conversation was overwhelmed by uproarious cheers and curses. A crowd of bar patrons had gathered around one table, shouting their support for the two teams of men that sat across from each other. Allen glimpsed one man's hand, grasping an assembly of checkered playing cards. There was a line forming alongside them of eager, confident new challengers.

"Eh? Are they having some kind of tournament?" Allen wondered.

"It would seem that way. That poor fellow is losing too." 

Allen turned back to the man in surprise.

"You can see that from all the way over here?" 

Tyki ignored his question and smiled pleasantly.

"Say, boy, why don't we enter? It's been too long since our last game."

Allen scoffed. "Why would I agree to do that?"

"Don't be so cruel. I thought you would jump at the opportunity to pay off that pesky General's debts."

Allen scowled; as annoying as it was, Tyki had a point.

"You're on, Tyki Mikk. But if we're doing this together, I get the winnings."

"Fine by me. I don't need Lord Millennium asking questions."

They stood and approached the line.

"You boys together?" A barmaid asked with a coyly piqued manicured brow.The alluded connotation in her question made Allen's hands clench into fists. 

Allen smiled with polite stiffness.

"No, we are just two strangers, nothing more. We want to enter the competition."

She nodded, sweeping her arm invitingly.

"Good luck." 

Tyki waved to her retreating back, struggling to contain his laughter.

"Not a word," Allen warned.

"Why so flustered, boy? I thought we were on better terms than just two strangers'."

"Well, seeing as we're enemies..." Allen trailed off dryly. 

Tyki ruffled his hair playfully.

"But we get along so well for enemies," he pointed out. 

The pair found themselves at the head of the line, ushered into two chairs. 

Their opponents were surly, potbellied, unkempt fellows, clearly with more beer in them than sense. Nevertheless, each held an arrogant glint in their eye that denoted cleverness.

"This should be easy pickins', ain't that right, Jack?" The bigger of the two said with a sneer.

"Some strange lookin' kid and a pretty boy? Easy pickins', indeed, Hugo," Jack agreed.

Allen offered them his politest smile. "Best of luck to you, gentleman," he chirped kindly.

They grunted their replies. An attendant expertly shuffled the cards before dealing them to each of the four men.

The game had begun. 

Allen and Tyki played their challengers for the fools they were, much to Jack and Hugo's increasing dismay and decreasing amount of valuables.

They were coconspirators in the deed of utterly demolishing their opponents. Eventually both men surrendered, each averting their gaze in the shame of their total defeat. 

Whispers had steadily risen as the game progressed, and were now chants of support for the card shark duo. No one could prove that they were cheating; no one could prove that they were not.

"You look like you're having a little too much fun, boy," Tyki remarked amusedly.

Allen smirked. "I could say the same for you, Tyki Mikk. You look like you just got away with murder."

The Noah laughed, gesturing to the group of defeated challengers nursing their wounded pride.

"Well, I'd say this pitiful display is something like that."

Eventually, the line disappeared.

"Anyone else?" The barmaid called. 

The bar was silent.

"Alright then. Here they are, folks. These two fine men are now the reigning champions!"

Cheers echoed off the walls. Mugs and wine glasses alike rose in respectful tribute to Allen and Tyki. Tyki practically glowed under the praise, while Allen smiled with sheepish politeness.

The two left the tavern soon after, pausing in the dim light of the evening moon.

"I've got to say, this was much more fun than running from Sheril for a day," Tyki said. 

Allen hummed.

"I didn't have such a terrible time either. But don't let that go to your head."

Tyki chuckled and began to walk away, waving over his shoulder. His disguise reverted back to a crisp pinstriped suit.

"See you around then, boy." 

Allen returned to the Order, stopping by to give his earnings to the resident accountant.

He soundlessly slipped into the room he shared with the Inspector and promptly fell asleep. 

The following morning, Allen awoke to the squawking summons of Chief Komui.

Allen hastily showered and dressed before arriving at Komui's office.

"Is something the matter, Chief?"

Komui smiled thinly.

"Do you mind explaining how you managed to acquire such a large sum of money last night?"

Allen jumped.

"Er...I was out for a little bit of late night gambling."

Komui eyed the boy before sighing wearily.

"Honestly, Allen, you should find other ways to pay off General Cross' debts. Ones that are not illegal. Better yet, you should let the Order-"

"Thank you, Chief, but no thank you," Allen interjected.

The Chief sighed once more.

"I thought it wouldn't hurt to ask. By the way, did anyone help you win? A partner in crime, so to speak?"

Allen laughed dismissively.

"Yes, I suppose so. They were just a helpful stranger. Nothing more, nothing less."

"I see. That will be all, then." 

As Allen left, he found himself smiling.

They were enemies, adversaries who respected each other's strengths.

However, at that particular time, Tyki Mikk had indeed been a helpful stranger.


End file.
